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01 Aug 00 - 11:26 AM (#269479) Subject: songs of the oilfield From: GUEST,Iains Many folk songs are about occupations but I have heard very few about the oil industry. "Men of Worth" is one that I can immediately think of. If anyone has any more could they please reply. Thanks in advance. |
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01 Aug 00 - 02:17 PM (#269594) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: The Shambles Who pays the piper |
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01 Aug 00 - 05:56 PM (#269763) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: GUEST,Hoolet As someone who is interested in the oil industry what about "North sea gas" sung by North sea gas it is true. Also wrote a song myself about the North sea industry |
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01 Aug 00 - 07:37 PM (#269848) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: GUEST,Iains Thanks both for the swift response. Any chance of a tune for 'who pays the piper' As somone who was working very close to Piper Alpha but lucky enough not to be on it I find a song about the catastrophe particularly poignant. |
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02 Aug 00 - 06:36 PM (#270611) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: GUEST,Bill Mat Armour originally from Anstruther now living and running a folk club in Milton Keynes Wrote Generations of change, recorded by many. Who pay's the piper was writen by Nancy Nicholson I think that Nancy Recorded it herself, if not look for it on one of the McCalmans C.D. |
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02 Aug 00 - 06:42 PM (#270616) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: Clinton Hammond2 Tubular Bells is great, but I like 2 and 3 better... Discovery has some really cool songs on it... He's a bit of a recluse I hear. but Sally sure can sing... *tap tap* *dashes for the door!* |
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02 Aug 00 - 06:48 PM (#270622) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: Sorcha I've been thinking about this ever since it was posted. My Mr. worked in the oilfield (North American Overthrust) for 7 years, between "cop" jobs, and I can't think of a single one. The boys (sic) don't sing on the floor like they should, they just listen to current C/W stuff on the radio, like "I lost my pick-up, my house,my dog,my girl"etc. Very interesting question.
I have even been thinking of the John Wayne movie, "Hellcats", about Red Adair, and can't think of a single appropriate song that is in the movie.
Thank god we never had a flame out while he was in the "patch", at least not in the Overthrust. Somebody "should" write one, either about Red or Boots and Toots, another "Fire Team". Honey will know their real names, I can't remember. |
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02 Aug 00 - 07:20 PM (#270643) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: Iains I worked in Dallas briefly a long time back and used to go to a bar called the texas teahouse. There was a song I heard in there with a country and western slant. one line from the song was "and he was a driller of oil wells"I'm sure this was sung by the resident group but Time addles the brain and I cant remember any more. If this line strikes a chord with anyone I'd be eternally grateful. and thanks all for the responses so far! |
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02 Aug 00 - 09:28 PM (#270706) Subject: Lyr Add: THE KELLY'S TURNING ^^ From: Stewie Here's one from an Australian writer. I posted it to a thread on oil industry songs started by WyoWoman months ago. I can't seem to find it with a forum search, so here is the song again:
THE KELLY'S TURNING
We're meeting by the riggin'
The kelly's turnin', the drill rod churnin'
There's Hank and Mac and Paddy
The kelly's turnin', the drill rod churnin'
Devil's getting' angry
The kelly's turnin', the drill rod churnin'
Well, now the drillin's ended
The kelly's turnin', the drill rod churnin'
We're meeting by the riggin'
The kelly's turnin', the drill rod churnin' --Stewie. ^^
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02 Aug 00 - 11:17 PM (#270767) Subject: RE: ADD, see previous post From: Sorcha GOOD song, Stewie and WW! Is there a tune? |
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03 Aug 00 - 12:00 AM (#270793) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: katlaughing I will ask my dad if he ever knew of any...he worked the oilfields all of his life, still has his welding truck and does abit at 83, plus he was always playing music. Like Sorcha none come to mind, offhand. Partly from the noise up on the deck, I woudl suspect. Sorcha, some greenhorn idiot turned on the blow off pipe (I think that is what it is called) when my dad was working on it, full flames on his face. Luckily had a bucket of water right close, dashed on his face. Mom woke to a one-knock on the door. He never knocked., She went down to see someone swathed in total face bandanges. The only way she could tell it was him, was the doc left a hole for his pipe, which also allowed sustenance through a straw. He had the pipe clenched in hsi teeth, so she figured it had to be him. The only scarring was the fact that he never could whistle as well after that. He worked all over the Rocky Mtns., the Gulf down by Lousiania, and in Alaska on Amchitka Island and the North Slope. There is a picture of him picking his banjo on Amchitka at my Mudcat Adventure website. I'll put a link in later if anyone is interested, after I ask him about songs. Oh, I also have a book or two on the oilfields, I will look at. kat |
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03 Aug 00 - 12:43 AM (#270809) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: Sandy Paton My father worked one summer in the town immortalized by the movie Boom Town (Clark Gable & Spencer Tracy -- remember?). That must have been about 1920. Anyway, he told me once that he had heard black roustabouts singing: Takes a wearied man To sing a wearied song. Well, I'm wearied now; Won't be wearied long. No specific oil field reference, but that was what they were singing. Dad sang it for me, then apologized that it was really more of a chant than a song. I didn't mind. Sandy |
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03 Aug 00 - 01:00 AM (#270815) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: katlaughing So, Sandy, then is that where the Kingston Trio got their "It Takes A Worried Man?" Interesting... |
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03 Aug 00 - 01:28 AM (#270826) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: Stewie Sorcha, it's a great song. I don't know anything about posting tunes. I mailed the printed music to WyoWoman. She may be able to post the tune. If not, I am happy to send you a printed copy if you give me your snail mail address in a personal message. --Stewie.
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03 Aug 00 - 01:38 AM (#270830) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: Sorcha Stewie, will do that, and I (think?) I can put the tune in a format to post it on the Cat. kat--is this sychronicity in action again? I was planning to post the tune to Worried Man Blues as soon as I got to my "W"s.......and the other, about yer da and my Mr. in the patch. Strange.......mayhap we are Sisters...we seem to be, and the h person in FL thinks we are the same person anyway. Maybe we are? |
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03 Aug 00 - 01:56 AM (#270840) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: mg didn't Stan Rogers write a couple about the Alberta oil fields? mg |
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03 Aug 00 - 03:57 AM (#270858) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: Wolfgang the obvious missing link here is: Sea-faring songs go Oilfield?? Wolfgang |
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03 Aug 00 - 11:32 AM (#271033) Subject: Lyr Add: BLACK, BLACK GOLD^^ From: GUEST,Bill (Scotland) Here is one I wrote a couple of years back. By the way I still work on the rigs. BLACK, BLACK GOLD It's a cold, grey winter's morning The weather's turning worse As the men prepare for flying To the oil rigs of the North They've left behind their families Their lovers are left alone As the oilmen board their chopper flight To search for the black, black gold Chorus The golden flare is burning bright The turbines roar, the drillers fight In the middle of the darkest night You search for the black, black gold Pull the drill string from the wellhead And the brown mud gushes out On the monkeyboard the roughneck Curses, swears and shouts As you break out miles of tubing Your fingers numb with cold Your bed's a distant memory As you search for the black, black gold Chorus Twenty hours spent on the drill floor Means four hours in your bed With eyes like blood red rubies And the ringing in your head It's no use you complaining You just do like your told Cos nobody is listening As you search for the black, black gold Chorus Then another trip is over And your money's in your hand The memory fades so quickly With your feet upon dry land If your lucky there's a welcome And it sure beats on the dole You forget the pain and the oilrig And the search for the black, black gold. Chorus Chorus Bill HTML line breaks added. -JoeClone 17-Jan-2001. |
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03 Aug 00 - 03:50 PM (#271193) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: GUEST,BEDLAM Well Hoolet, How about the lyrics to the song you wrote We would be most interested (Howe) is watching |
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03 Aug 00 - 04:43 PM (#271226) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: MMario and if any of you lyricists have music for these words?? |
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03 Aug 00 - 08:05 PM (#271296) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: katlaughing Yes, and well done Bill(Scotland)! |
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04 Aug 00 - 01:22 PM (#271416) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: katlaughing Well, I called Dad, today to ask him if he knew of any oilfield songs. He said the only one he could recall came out around 1951 and was "The Old Toolpusher from Snyder", which was a reference to the Snyder, Texas oil boom. Dad says it was one the last of the real tough booms, the kind where you could get your throat slit open over a claim and no one the wiser. He also said that song was quite popular in Wyoming, where my family was at the time. (I hadn't arrived, yet.) Anyway, I don't see it in the DT and Dad said he'd love to get the words, so I will start a thread. Also, if any of you are interested, if you click here and scroll to the bottom of the page, you will see the picture I mentioned above, of Dad playing his banjo while in the oil patch up in the Aleutians. Thanks, katbornanoilfieldbrat |
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04 Aug 00 - 05:21 PM (#271557) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: GUEST,Barry Finn That "Kelly's Turning" is a great song, you can find it recorded by Gerry Hallom on his Undiscovered Australia II. I got mine from Sandy, you might be able to talk him into parting with one but it could be kinda tough it's a pretty good recording. Barry |
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05 Aug 00 - 12:15 AM (#271746) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: WyoWoman I've moved to another state recently (Frantic, actually. My new state is Frantic) and much of my stuff is still in boxes. If the sheet music is still needed, I have it in my music folder which is, lessee, mmmm, that big box in the middle room, I think. Seriously, if you do need it, let me know and I'l hunt it down. I'm happy to hear there's a recording of it somewhere. Does this mean Sandy has this collection for sale or it's his very own and he'll never pry loose? WyoWoman |
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05 Aug 00 - 12:56 AM (#271772) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: katlaughing And she surfaces for air!! Welcome home, WW!!! |
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05 Aug 00 - 01:01 AM (#271774) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: WyoWoman Thankee, thankee. I'm just dashing in for a moment here and there between dueling demands. I did not get eaten by a bear, nor mauled by mosquitos and I did ride most of the way (although I rode in the sag wagon for a few miles to stave off sheer exhaustion). I have now ridden my bike over the old Denali highway in Alaska. Ta-DAH! AND, so thread creep won't get too serious, I actually saw the Alaska pipeline. It wasn't nearly as big, in diameter, as I had expected. But, Baby, does it go on and on ... ww |
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05 Aug 00 - 08:53 PM (#272079) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: GUEST,Iains Does anyone know if jerry jeff walker recorded any songs to do with the oil industry? |
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05 Aug 00 - 11:03 PM (#272152) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: Art Thieme Kat, I'm still looking through my files for the "Snyder" song you want. I know I've got it... Later, Art |
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06 Aug 00 - 07:49 AM (#272270) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: Bradypus Gaberlunzie did a couple of good oil-rig songs for the North Sea - 'The Kishorn Commandos' about building the rigs, and one whose name I can't remember, a well worked story about someone who changes jobs from building rigs to being a North Sea diver - the last line is 'He was murdered by the very rig that he had helped to build'. Bradypus |
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06 Aug 00 - 05:31 PM (#272506) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: katlaughing Take your time, Art, dad's in no hurry and will appreciate all he can get. Thanks a bunch! kat |
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06 Aug 00 - 08:10 PM (#272594) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: bet Like kat, I don't remember songs of the oil fields when we were growing up. i wonder if part of that was because our Mother was a lady and the language wasn't fit for us kids. I know she sure didn't like Dad cussing around us. bet |
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06 Aug 00 - 08:42 PM (#272607) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: katlaughing Boy, you are right about that, bet, and know you have me wondering about that, too...if there was any language in them, she sure wouldn't have a allowed the around us! |
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07 Aug 00 - 07:29 PM (#273212) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: GUEST,winterhorse290@yahoo.com dont know about oilfield songs, but i,m sittin on a platform in the gulf of mexico makin oil and i don,t see any thing i,d want to sing about!@! |
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07 Aug 00 - 07:41 PM (#273220) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: Joe Offer Here's an interesting one: Men of Worth (click). It's also in the database, but Jeri and I did a much better job of transcription in the thread.... -Joe Offer- |
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08 Aug 00 - 09:10 AM (#273512) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: GUEST,KingBrilliant How about Rigging it up Duncanon by Tom Robinson? Brilliant song. Will go and find a URL to the lyrics - or cutnpaste. Just a sec.... Kris |
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08 Aug 00 - 09:30 AM (#273523) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: GUEST,KingBrilliant Here's the URL for rigging it up duncannon http://www.bothways.com/tr/music/eddie/liabt.htm#riud Kris |
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29 Apr 10 - 03:53 PM (#2896824) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: GUEST,x-roughneck I worked for Atco in E. Texas in 1980. The company gave us a recording for Christmas that I think was called "Turnin To The Right". The lyrics were something like... You never know what makes a man take a drill string for a wife...Doing a job that's gotta be done workin' day and night. Keep that drill bit turning, turning to the right. Anybody remember it? I lost my copy. Big Bob |
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29 Apr 10 - 04:14 PM (#2896844) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: GUEST "The Idiot" by Stan Rogers |
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07 May 10 - 10:33 AM (#2902038) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: cetmst I have an album "Alex Zanetis Writes and Sings the Story of the Oil Fields" recorded in Nashville in April 1964 an a Recording Industries Corporation label. Titles, written by himself except as noted: Tool-Pusher, by Slim Willet Doodle-Bug Pete High and Dry Roughneck, by Wooley Tom Kelly Drinks for the House Wildcats From San Antionio Morning Tower Rosanna Three Miles Down Tulsa Arkansas Alex Zanetis was born in 1927, worked various jobs in the oil fields, wrote other songs but this album is unique. The whole story is of interest to me because Great Uncle Howard worked in oil fields in Western Pennsylvania, followed the boom to Oklahoma and Texas. When my father got out of the army in 1919 he joined Uncle Howard in Oklahoma working as a driller and tool dresser. He brought back many stories and pictures of Oklahoma boom towns. It's not great music but authentic. |
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07 May 10 - 10:49 AM (#2902055) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: Bounty Hound Not stricly about oilfields, but how about 'The Islands' written by Ralph McTell & Maartin Allcock, done by Fairport on 'Jewel in the Crown' very evocative song about the wreck of the oil tanker 'The Braer' John |
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07 May 10 - 10:52 AM (#2902061) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: Mark Ross My old singing partner Steve Cormier used to sing one to the tune of Stuart Hamblin's THIS OLD HOUSE, called THIS OLD RIG. anybody know where I can find the words? Mark Ross |
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07 May 10 - 11:02 AM (#2902065) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: meself There's a Newfoundland song about off-shore oil drilling that was recorded by, and perhaps written by, Jim Payne (I believe); not sure of the title, but it follows the familiar alphabet model: A's for Atlantic, the world's largest swell, B's for the ballast, and the boys in the bell; C's for the chopper that brought us out here, And D's for the danger that lurks everywhere. How happy are we who work out on the rig, Where the ......? and the waves are so big; Blow high or blow low, the winds they do roar, There's no job on earth like one working off-shore. Etc. |
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11 May 10 - 02:32 PM (#2904629) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: Jim Dixon There are a few songs already posted at Mudcat about oil, but unfortunately, none of these are really about the lives of oil workers, which is what I think the original requester had in mind. These are basically about the politics of energy policy and environmental effects: OIL ON THE WATER by Bill Bonyun THE HYPOCRITICAL SONG by Rob Maxtone Graham ("Oil, oil, glorious oil...") THE PRICE OF OIL by Billy Bragg In these 2, drilling is used as a sexual metaphor: BORING FOR OIL DRILLING FOR OIL This is about oil tankers rather than drilling: BRINGING HOME THE OIL by the Clancy Brothers - (also here) This one shows promise, but... OIL FIELD GIRLS by Tom Russell was requested but never supplied. And these are from the point of view of the oil-well owners: FORTY-TWO (barrels of oil a day) by E Phillips & D Jeffers OIL ON THE BRAIN |
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11 May 10 - 03:16 PM (#2904661) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: GUEST,mg There are a number about the Ocean Ranger in Newfoundland. mg |
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11 May 10 - 06:51 PM (#2904805) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: Rob Naylor We had a few on the seismic boats, but they were generally filthy (and I mean *filthy*) and often specific to the vessel in question. The M/V "Rio Das Contas" was given the obvious re-name in one song. We had one to the tune of "Okie From Muskogee" which started something like: We don't smoke marijuana in the Gun Shack We don't take no trips on Longva Three The Party Chief's unconscious on the back deck Because he gets his fucking beer for free (bit of a parody of "Up Against The Wall You Redneck Mothers" really...and Norwegian vessels were "wet" until 1983. US crews couldn't believe it when they saw our beer fridges in the day room! Longva Three was a new vessel in our fleet that people tried to avoid getting transferred to) The chorus is offensive these days....when we did manual work on the back deck we were referred to as "back deck n*gg**s, which the chorus references heavily. I wrote one about our navigation system (Called Pulse-8, a sort of Loran-C derivative) which started: The thing about this job I hate Is working with this fucking Pulse-8 and finished: So seismic companies be on your guard The choice is limited, I know it's hard But if you're after a post-plot that carries some weight Don't trust your positioning to fucking Pulse-8 It was written with FEELING as I was a former Pulse-8 Engineer, but it's fairly meaningless unless you're familiar with specialist marine survey radio-navigation systems. |
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11 May 10 - 10:59 PM (#2904917) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: GUEST,Fred Bailey There's one that starts off: My Grand-dad worked the derricks, back in '23 That's where the oil got in his veins and he passed it on to me Workover rigging and wildcat digging were the things that I knew there And the smell of crude hung in that dusty Oklahoma air I think I can find the rest -- it's a song of the North Slope fields. |
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28 Mar 11 - 09:08 PM (#3123769) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: Stewie Here's another one that I came across: Alberta crude. If you want better sound, it also appears on this excellent CD: Various 'Alberta: Wild Roses Northern Lights' Smithsonian Folkways SFW CD 40538. --Stewie. |
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28 Mar 11 - 09:21 PM (#3123775) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: Jack Campin Sheila Douglas's "Men of the North" (about the North Sea oil boom in Scotland). BBC Radio 4 had a programme this afternoon about the British Library sound archive. They included interviews with a woman who used to be a cleaner on a North Sea oil rig and with a survivor of the Piper Alpha explosion. |
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04 Nov 14 - 02:05 PM (#3674564) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: songs of the oilfield From: GUEST,Joe Scanlon I am interested in finding songs about oil rig disasters for example songs about Piper Alpha. Heather Sparling has already collected 14 sings about Ocean Ranger though new ones would be welcome. Are there songs about Alexander L. Kielland Joe.Scanlon@carleton.ca Presume most of you saw our two articles: Scanlon, Joseph, Allison Vandervalk and Mattea Chadwick-Shubat (2012) "Challenge to the Lord: Folk Songs About the 'Unsinkable' Titanic" Canadian Folk Music Vol. 45 No. 3 pp: 3-10iScanlon, Joseph, Nick Johnston and Allison Vandervalk with Heather Sparling (2012) "101 Years of Mine Disasters and 101 Years of Song: Truth or Myth in Nova Scotia Mining Songs" International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters March pp: 34-60 |